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<p>The national and regional statistics on the number and proportion of people in
low income as set out in the annual ‘Households Below Average Income’ publication
are not available at local authority level due to limitations around the survey sample.</p><p>
</p><p>New experimental data on Children in Low Income families was published on 26
March 2020 and is available at Local Authority level. For the Luton Local Authority
area, 23 per cent of children were in families with absolute low income in 2018/19
compared with 25 per cent in 2014/15.</p><p> </p><p>Our current focus is on helping
vulnerable families cope with the financial hardships brought about by COVID-19. We
have increased Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit by £1,000 from 6 April 2020
for one year, benefiting over four million of the most vulnerable households, and
increased Local Housing Allowance rates - putting an average of £600 into people’s
pockets.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, Local Authorities in England will now be able
to use the £500 million Hardship Fund announced at the Spring Budget to help working
people on Local Council Tax Support to provide additional help to vulnerable people
locally through arrangements such as Local Welfare Schemes.</p><p> </p><p>This Government’s
long-term ambition remains to build an economy that will support work, and ensure
that everyone has opportunities to enter work and progress, while being supported
by the welfare system in their time of need. This is based on clear evidence of the
important role of work in reducing child poverty. In 2018/19, only three per cent
of children in households where both parents work full time were in absolute poverty
(before housing costs) compared to 47 per cent in households where one or more parent
was in part-time work.</p>
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